Information

All government agencies create and obtain records as they carry out their day-to-day duties. The types of records vary by agency. In the Intelligence Community, many of these records are classified due to the sensitive nature of our work and the obligation to protect the sources and methods that we use to collect and process information.

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a law enacted in 1967 that gives the public the right to request access to records from any federal government agency. According to the FOIA website, "Federal agencies are required to disclose any information requested under the FOIA unless it falls under one of nine exemptions which protect interests such as personal privacy, national security, and law enforcement." IC agencies also proactively and due to legal requirement post records and official documents, including declassified documents, online for public use.

To make a FOIA request, please visit the website of the IC organization who owns the information you seek. Most agencies now allow requests to be submitted electronically.

FOIA requests cannot be submitted through Intelligence.gov, which is an information-only website representing all IC elements.